Soft-sided hand luggage having shape-retaining end walls



Apnl 4, 1950 B. PLATT SOFT-SIDED HAND LUGGAGE HAVING SHAPE-RETAINING END WALLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 19, 1947 April 4, 1950 B. PLATT SOFT-SIDED HAND LUGGAGE HAVING SHAPE-RETAINING END WALLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 19, 1947 drnz S.

meme A r. 4, 1950 SOFT-SIDED HAND LUGGAGE HAVING SHAPE-RETAINING END WALLS Beniamin mm, Phoenix, Aria, assignor to Platt Luggage, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June 19, 1947, Serial No. 755,688

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to hand luggage of the type having a pair of complemental sections of substantially rectangular shape and defining adjacent open sided compartments for the storage or transportation of articles, and

gagement with the side, top and bottom walls of their respective compartments. The shells are preferably secured to the walls adjacent thereto by means of stitching, although other forms of fastening means well known in this art may be employed, ii desired.

This invention further contemplates improvements in design and construction of hand lug- 2 covered by an associated covering, which may be leather.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of this invention, and first to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the bag illustrated may be seen to comprise two substantially identical sections or halves 8 and 9 which are generally rectangular in shape. Each includes a side wall [0, end walls ll, a. top wall I2, and a bottom wall I3. The end and top walls are joined to the usual U-shaped jaws 16, which are hingedly connected at their ends by hinge structures ll, which may be of conventional construction.

In accordance with the primary feature of the present invention, certain of the end walls, preferably all, are provided with reinforcing shells v23, each of which is formed with a flange 24 extending along three sides thereof. The reinforcing shells give the bag considerable strength and rigidity, even though they are made of light vmaterial. They reinforce not only the end walls but, together with the flange portions 25, 2G and gage whereby the caste! manufacture may be materially reduced and without detracting from the appearance or durability of the luggage.

This invention embodies other novel features,

details of construction, and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bag embodying the principles of this invention shown in its open position; the inner lining usually used in luggage of the type to which this invention pertains has been omitted from this and the other figures better to illustrate the invention;

-Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional I 27, add to the rigidity of the side, bottom and top walls, with the result that the ends of the bag, where damage would otherwise most readily occur, are reinforced against damage from all directions. Furthermore, the end shells enable the bag to be constructed more readily and economically.

' The shells 23 may be completely preformed, as by stamping, or relatively thin, soft sheet metal but may be formed of wood, plastic, laminated fiber, or other material. Each shell is provided with a leather covering 28 secured, as by glue, to its outer side and disposed thereon and dimensioned to provide a lip 29 (see Fig. 2) extending along its unflanged edge whereby it may be secured, as by stitching, to a frame jaw. Each frame jaw is provided with a leather covering 3| which is glued thereto and has its edges 32 disposed inwardly, for stitching to the several wa1ls, also as best illustrated in Fig. 2.

The bottom walls l3 include rectangular strips of cloth covered board 33 having an outer .leather covering 31 secured thereto. A narrow strip of boardji is located centrally of boards 33 to provide spacing for the hinges and to en- .able the bottom walls readily to move relative to each other when the bag is opened.

The side walls it comprise a layer of cardboard 36 or like material having an outer leather covering 31 secured thereto, these being extended to define also thetop walls [2. The wall defining portions extend over considerable portions of the width of flanges 24 and over substantially the 3 entire lengths of flange portions 25 and 21 and over a short length of flange portion 26. The various wall defining portions and laws may be readily stitched together to construct a complete bag.

The lips 29 of the end wall coverings 28 an the upper ends of the side and top wall defining portions 36 and 31 are secured to the inwardly facing side edges 32 of the frame law covering 3| by a row of stitches 56.

The lower ends of the portions 36 and 31 are secured to the bottom by stitching 39. The sides of the side and top wall deflning portions 36 and 31 are secured to the end closure sections II by two rows of stitches 4| and 42 extending through the flanges 24 of the end shells 23. The rows of stitches 4| and 42 also extend across the top and bottom walls l2 and II to secure the latter to the end flanges 26 and 2'! of the reinforcing shells 2!. It may be noted that the bottom walls are secured to the inner sides of flange portions 26 whereas the side and top walls II and I2 are secured to the outer sides of the remaining flange portions. This minimizes the tendency of the stitching to be pulled out when the bag is heavily loaded and being carried in the usual manner.

Additional strength is given to the bag by the button headed bag supporting staples 41 having pointed ends adapted to pierce and be bent over against the inner side of the end flanges 26.

After the bag has been constructed in the illustrated and described manner, it is provided with the usual cloth inner lining, which has been omitted from the drawings more clearly to illustrate the construction of the bag. Suitable handles and latches may also be secured upon the jaw frames in the usual manner.

A modified form of end shell construction having certain advantages in facilitating construction of the luggage is illustrated in Fig. 6. The end shell is indicated as a whole by reference character 50 and it is preferably covered with leather 5| extending beyond the unflanged end of the shell as indicated by reference character 52.

To facilitate manufacture of the luggage, the shell 50 is only partly preformed. Thus, it is preformed with a top flange 53 and a side flange 54, which correspond to the flanges 21 and 25 of the shell 23. The shell is, however, provided with an extension 55 which can be bent during assembly of the luggage to provide a bottom flange corresponding to flange 26. The extension may be covered with leather, as shown, although in certain types of constructions it need not be. The leather can be glued to the shell and it can also be stitched to the flanges. as shown by stitching 56.

The use of an extension which can be bent during construction of the luggage is particularly advantageous because it enables the builder to locate the flange at the exact desired location of the bottom of the lug age. This is desirable in constructions employing jaw frames, like the frames i6, because the leather secured thereto does not always extend to the same place. As a result, the end wall may at times have to be somewhat shorter or longer, and with the described construction, its length can be controlled by bending the extension at the desired point.

The bending'of the extension is facilitated and the appearance of the resulting structure enhanced by cutting the end of the extension 55 adjacent flange 54 on a bias, as indicated by reference character 56. This construction eliminates "interference between the flanges.

It has been found that the support provided by the end shell having a separate flange 55 at the bottom is eminently satisfactory even though it is not integral with the side flange. However, it is not desirable to have such a flange at the top of the luggage.

From the foregoing description of the invention. it may be noted that one of the most important features thereof resides in the utilization of either completely or partly preformed end shells having flanges extending around three sides thereof adapted to be stitched to the top, side and bottom walls of the bag. This construction facilitates the manufacture of hand luggage and further provides sumcient strength to prevent collapse or deformation of the bag under practically all but the most unusual conditions.

While this invention has been shown in connection with the details of certain structures, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claims. For instance, the and shells may be made of different materials and need not take the exact shape heretofore illustrated and described, and they may be used in bags other than those having substantially identical sections.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In soft-sided hand luggage, a compartmentdefining structure comprising top, side and bottom walls, and a pair of end structures secured respectively at opposite ends of the compartment, each of said end structures including reinforcing means formed from a single blank and having a flat oblong end portion with dimensions corresponding substantially to the end of the compartment and having other portions extending inwardly from a top edge and one side edge of the end portion toward the other end structure, and a flexible sheet material covering on said reinforcing means; flexible sheet material forming at least parts of the top and side walls of the compartment; and a flexible sheet material covered jaw frame secured to said end structures and top wall, said other inwardly extending portions of each of said reinforcing means being integral with each other to forma continuous inwardly extending structure whereby said end structures define and maintain the outlines of the compartment.

2. In hand luggage as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said reinforcing means has associated with it a third other portion extending inwardly toward the other end structure from a bottom edge of said end portion.

3. In soft-sided hand luggage, a compartmentdefining structure comprising top, side and bottom walls, and a pair of end structures secured respectively at opposite ends of the compartment, each of said end structures including preformed single piece unitary substantially rigid reinforcing means having a flat oblong end portion with dimensions corresponding substantially to the end of the compartment and having flanges extending toward the other end structure from a top edge and one side edge of the end portion and forming a substantially continuous shaperetaining flange, and a flexible sheet material covering on said end portion and flanges; a flex;- ible sheet material covered jaw frame secured to a side edge opposite the flanged side edge of said end structures and to said top wall; and flexible sheet material forming at least parts of the to? 5 and side walls of the compartment, said material Overlapping said flanges and being secured to said flanges. whereby said end structures deflne and maintain the outlines of the compartment.

4. In hand luggage as claimed in claim 3. wherein each of said reinforcing means includes a flange extending from a bottom edge of said end portion toward the other end structure.

5. In hand luggage as claimed in claim 3, wherein the flanges at the top and side edges of each 01' said reinforcing means are united and each reinforcing means includes a flange extending Irom a bottom edge of said end portion toward the other end structure, said flange at the bottom being united with the flange extending from the side edge of said end portion and covered with said sheet material covering.

8. In hand luggage as claimed in claim 3, wherein each or said reinforcing means includes a flange extending from a bottom edge of said end portion toward the other end structure. said flange being separate from the flange extending from the side edge 01 said end portion.

7. In hand luggage as claimed in claim 3, wherein junctures oithe flanges with their associated end portion are smoothly rounded and 'wherein the flanges are rounded where the top and side flanges meet.

,8. In hand luggage as claimed in claim 8, wherein the flexible sheet material covering on the end portion oi each reinforcing means extends beyond said opposite side edge thegjaw trame covering sheet material extends beyond the heme, and the extending portions of the coverings are secured together.

BENJAMIN PLAI'I.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the lie 01 this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

